If you are thinking about selling your house in 2011, now is the right time to start thinking about it and taking action. In St. Louis the Spring selling season starts in early February, so you really just have the month of January to get your house in market-ready condition. Here are some tips:

* Declutter, declutter, declutter....this means the basement, your closets, everything. Limit tabletop items to only 3.
* Before you start showings, remove family photographs. This helps declutter your house and helps focus nosey realtors and buyers away from looking at your family and back on your house. I am one of these offenders. If I see family photos in a house, I immediately try to figure out if I know the people. About 1/3 of the time I do.
* Freshly paint any surfaces that are marked up. If you have a room with a strong color, consider painting it a neutral color. Repaint walls that were "sponged" in the 90's.
* Removed wallpaper
* Replace your "beat-up appliances with new ones
* Paint or restain your deck
* Get rid of any houseplants that are lanky or sad
* Stop smoking in your house
* Clean the carpets
* Wash your windows inside and out
* Remove the screens from the front windows of your house-the windows will look sharper
* Stop cooking strong smelling foods like curry
* Take a critical look at your front door. If it needs painting or replacing, take care of this now. Try adding a brass kick plate.
* Make sure your house is in good condition on the outside. Pealing paint or loose mortar are turn offs and may single that the house has not been tended to
* Look at your hardwood floors and determine if they need refinishing. The cost is not as bad as you think.
* Replace carpeting that is worn or have carpeting with waves in it stretched.
* Spruce up your kitchen with new counters, floor and even cabinets if necessary.
* Thoroughly clean your house from top to bottom and maintain it.
* Add new mulch to your flower beds.
* Buy some pretty flowering plants for your interior of the house.

Although there will be an investment to get your house in order to sell, the investment is very worth while. Considering that price reductions are usually $5,000 -$10,000 each time you have to make an adjustment, a $5,000 investment that gets your house sold quickly is smart!

As a licensed broker/salesperson with Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty, I would be please to provide free consultation to anyone who is interested in selling their house.

Ted Wight, 314-607-5555 or tedwight@aol.com

More Notes about:

Address: 38 Aberdeen Pl
Agent: Ted Wight (176 more notes)
Agency: Sotheby's International Realty

City: Clayton (90 more notes)
Neighborhood: East of Hanley Rd (55 more notes)
Subdivision: Hillcrest of Clayton (5 more notes)

Related links:

Address: 38 Aberdeen Pl
Agent: Ted Wight
City: Clayton
Neighborhood: East of Hanley Rd
Subdivision: Hillcrest of Clayton